Notes

Additional Physical Form:

Also distributed to depository libraries in microfiche.

Additional Physical Form:

Some monthly issues also available via Internet from the Census Bureau website as: Highlights from the preliminary report on manufacturers' shipments, inventories, and orders. Address as of 12/17/03: http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/m3/prel/priorrel.htm; current access available via PURL.

Additional Physical Form:

Some annual summaries also available via Internet from the Census Bureau website. Address as of 12/8/2005: http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/m3-1.html; current access available via PURL.

Dates or Sequential Designation:

Oct. 1963-

Numbering Peculiarities:

Some annual summaries issued in revised editions.

Numbering Peculiarities:

Each annual summary cumulates previous issues for a period of prior years, i.e., annual summaries for <1976>-197 cumulate from 1958.

Summary. New orders for manufactured goods in September
increased $2.7 billion or 1.5 percent from August to $181.0
billion. The value of manufacturers' shipments increased $2.9
billion or 1.6 percent to $178.9 billion. Manufacturers' unfilled
orders at the end of September were estimated at $322.8
billion, up $2.1 billion or 0.7 percent from August; the book
value of manufacturers' inventories at the end of September was
$260.9 billion, up $1.1 billion or 0.4 percent from August.

New Orders. The increase of 1.5 percent in new orders in
September was the eighth in the last 10 months, since the
recession low of $152.4 billion was reached last October. So far
this year new orders increased during the first quarter an average
of 1.2 percent per month, and during the second quarter an
average of 3.2 percent per month; in the third quarter the
average rate of increase was only 0.5 percent per month.
About two thirds of the $2.7 billion increase in new orders in
September came from the nondurable goods sector, where for
most industries new orders are equated to shipments for the
month. The increase in orders for durable goods of $1.0 billion
or 1.1 percent reversed the earlier reported 0.5 percent decline.
The revisions were due to more complete reporting in the
machinery and transportation equipment industries.
Most of the durable goods industries showed increases in new
orders in September, but the increases were partially offset by a
large decline in new orders for transportation equipment. In
that industry, new orders for motor vehicles and parts declined
14.0 percent. The largest increase in new orders occurred in the
nonelectrical machinery category where an increase of $1.8
billion or 11.7 percent was recorded. The value of new orders
for nonelectrical machinery in September was $17.2 billion, 44
percent above last December for an average increase of nearly
5.0 percent per month this year.
Within the capital goods sector, new orders for nondefense
capital goods increased $2.2 billion or 9.5 percent to $25.2
billion. The office and computing equipment and communica-
tion equipment industries showed the largest gains. New orders
for defense capital goods increased in September by $0.3 billion
or 6.0 percent to $4.8 billion.

Shipments. The increase in shipments of manufactured goods in
September of $2.9 billion or 1.6 percent reflected increases of
about the same size in both the durable and nondurable goods
sectors. An increase in durable goods shipments of $1.3 billion
or 1.5 percent resulted from increases in all industries except
motor vehicles and parts. That industry showed a large decline

of $1.2 billion or 8.4 percent.
Increases in shipments by the nondurable goods industries
were similarly widespread. The largest came in the food
products category, up $0.7 billion or 2.9 percent to $24.8
billion; in chemicals, up $0.5 billion or 3.2 percent to $16.7
billion; and in tobacco products, up $0.4 billion or 27 percent
to $1.8 billion.
Unfilled Orders. The backlog of orders held by manufacturers
at the end of September was estimated at $322.8 billion, up
$2.1 billion or 0.7 percent from August. Although the unfilled
orders level has been generally increasing since last November,
the rate of increase has been declining since June. The June
increase was 1.5 percent, July was 0.9 percent, August was 0.7
percent.
Most of the major industries showed increases in unfilled
orders at the end of September. Primary metals backlog was up
$0.9 billion or 3.5 percent to $25.6 billion; the nonelectrical
machinery backlog was up $1.5 billion or 2.7 percent to $56.6
billion; and the electrical machinery backlog was up $0.6 billion
or 1.0 percent to $66.8 billion.
The backlog of orders for transportation equipment declined
$1.3 billion or 1.0 percent to $126.7 billion with the ship-
building, aircraft and parts and motor vehicles and parts all
showing decreases.

Inventories. The increase in the value of manufacturers' inven-
tories in September of $1.1 billion or 0.4 percent to $260.9
billion was the fourth increase in the last five months. Prior to
that, inventories had declined from $284.3 billion in November
1981 to $257.4 billion in April, 1983. Nondurable goods
industries showed an increase in inventories in September of
$0.4 billion or 0.5 percent to $89.7 billion, while the durable
goods industries increased $0.7 billion or 0.4 percent to $171.3
billion.
Inventories of materials and supplies increased for the second
month in a row, following a nearly two year downward trend.
September materials and supplies increased 0.7 percent while
the August increase was 1.8 percent. Work in process inventories
also increased in September, going up 0.8 percent from August.
Finished goods inventories showed a slight decline in September
of 0.2 percent. The inventory to shipments ratio in September
was 1.46; down from 1.48 in August and 1.50 in July.
Scheduled Release Dates. The advance report on durable goods
for October is scheduled for release on November 22, 1983, and
the full report is scheduled for release on December 2, 1983.

Address inquiries concerning these figures to U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Industry Division, Washington, D.C. 20233, or call
Ruth Runyan or Kathleen Swindell-Menth, (301) 763-2502.
For sale by Customer Services (DUSD) Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C. 20233, or any U.S. Department of Commerce district office. Postage
stamps not acceptable; currency submitted at sender's risk. Remittances from foreign countries must be by international money order or by a draft on a
U.S. bank. Price, $1.50 per copy, $18.00 per year.

Shipments and new orders are the totals for the period and are adjusted for trading-day and calendar-month variations; unfilled orders and inventories
areas of the end of the period and are not adjusted for trading-day or calendar-month variations.
The supplementary series are regroupings of the separate Industry categories: Household durable goods industries includes household furniture; kitchen
articles and pottery; cutlery, hand tools, and hardware; household appliances, radio and TV, ophthalmic goods, watches, and clocks; and miscellaneous per-
sonal goods.
Nondefense capital goods include machinery, except electrical (excluding farm machinery and equipment and machine shops); electrical machinery (excluding
household appliances, radio and TV, and electronic components); railroad equipment; and the nondefense portions of ordnance; communication equipment; air-
craft and aircraft parts; and shipbuilding, converting and repairing.
Defense capital goods include ordnance, communication equipment, aircraft and aircraft parts, and shipbuilding converting and repairing. The defense
data are comparable to those published annually in the MA-175, Shipments to Federal Government Agencies.

Note: The revisions are the differences between the month-to-month percent changes of the preliminary and final estimates. The monthly averages are
the simple averages of the differences, without regard to sign, for the months specified. The advance to final percent change differences for the durable
goods industries are shown in the advance report for the month.

I If "'

U.S. Department of Commerce
BUREAU OF THE CENSUS
Washington, D.C. 20233